


That was impressive (Or Rise again)

by ONeillwith2ls



Series: Fictober20 [6]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Episode: s01e07 Cold Lazarus, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:15:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26854327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ONeillwith2ls/pseuds/ONeillwith2ls
Summary: Jack is impressed with his new captain's abilities--time to do something about it
Relationships: Samantha "Sam" Carter/Jack O'Neill
Series: Fictober20 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947181
Comments: 10
Kudos: 55





	That was impressive (Or Rise again)

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place after Cold Lazarus Season 1 ep 7. Ties in with my Episode Tags AND My Fictober series but you don't have to read either series to enjoy the other.

"Enter." Hammond called as he was filling in more paperwork. This 'easy job before retirement' was getting more and more complicated by the day. He looked up and saw Jack enter the room, a file under one arm, and a determined look on his face. "Colonel O'Neill, what can I do for you?"

Jack took a deep breath before he started, a nervous look crossed his face.

"General, it's about Captain Carter-" he started to say.

"I told you her being on SG-1 wasn't optional."

"Now, General-"

"Personally, I can't see what problem you have with her."

"But sir-"

"I know you like your men training to your standards-" George continued.

"That's sort of the point-"

"So, train her!"

"That's what I want to do!" Jack exclaimed, finally getting it out.

George stopped and looked at Jack carefully before he asked "What?"

"I agree with your assessment of Captain Carter, sir." Jack said respectfully. "She's smart. She learns fast. Her potential – well, sir, she's a natural." Jack said honestly. "With that in mind, she needs some - direction." Jack took a deep breath and one hand started playing with the flag on the end of Hammond's desk. "And since she's on my team and I  _ am _ a black ops instructor, it'd save time and money if I could train her - to my standards. I could start to groom her-" As a look came across Hammond's face with a raised eyebrow, Jack quickly added. "For command, sir. Just for command."

Hammond leaned back in his chair and looked at his 2IC, failing from keeping the smirk of his face. "Command?" he asked. While he'd known Samantha Carter since she was a little girl, he agreed with Jack. She had always been command material, but he'd be damned if he gave Jack O'Neill the instant gratification of being right.

"Honestly, I could see her with stars on her shoulders one day." Jack admitted quietly, "but, it doesn't mean she'll get there if she's not given direction. Level 3 combat got her out of a sticky situation already, but she's able enough for Level 4, and I can push her to full Level 5. It will help her out in the field if these early missions are anything to go by. SG-1 is in a black ops division. Granted she's a scientist, but I get why she'd choose the science stuff over black ops training. It doesn't need to be that way anymore. I'll train her… on the job and in the field. If she has any hope of being a General one day in the Stargate program or elsewhere, she'll need the correct black ops training." Hammond studied Jack for a moment before he continued "Now, before you go objecting-"

"I agree." Hammond told him abruptly.

Jack looked up surprised. "You do?"

Hammond sat back and chuckled. "What do you think of her, Jack?"

Jack looked more surprised at the question before he admitted. "She has a lot of – spunk -, sir."

Hammond chuckled. "Yes, she does."

"I like it." Jack admitted, not sure where Hammond was going with it.

"Get to know your team, Colonel. I think SG-1 could be something special."

"Yes sir." Jack acknowledged. "Permission to start my training with Captain Carter immediately?"

"Fill out-" Hammond looked surprised when Jack handed him the file he brought with him. He looked inside and sure enough the paperwork required was filled out with the exception of Sam's signature. "Permission granted. You'll need to get Captain Carter to come down here and sign these if she agrees to take part." George nodded. "Dismissed."

"Thank you, sir." Jack commented before leaving the room.

Hammond chuckled as he watched Jack cross the briefing room. Samantha Carter had always been a little charmer, ever since she was a little girl, and it seems she was working her magic on a time seasoned old Colonel too.

* * *

Jack stood at her lab door and watched her while she worked for a few moments. He was impressed with her focus as she looked down the microscope and recorded something on her computer.

After the first few weeks of working with her, he had come to the same conclusion as George Hammond. Carter was invaluable and a great contribution to the Stargate program. He'd even went to the extent of reading her file. That son of a bitch West really screwed her brilliance over. She had single-handedly brought the project to the fruition, and that mumbling idiot Meyers was a smokescreen for her expertise. He grinned as he realized that he would have loved to have met her back then! He would have been grouchy and maybe not in the best frame of mind, but she would have brightened his day.

"Carter?" He said, softly knocking on the door frame.

She looked up and let a small smile grace her face. "Sir." She said, "What can I do for you?"

"That was impressive." He told her. She looked at him a little confused. "Your field tests, I'm impressed." He tells her genuinely.

She blushes slightly at the compliment, since it was a rarity for her superiors with the exception of her professors at the academy to offer her praise. Jack immediately wondered why she would blush at such a small thing. "Thank you, sir."

"I looked over your file. I noticed you were offered black ops upon graduation and you turned it down." He observed.

"Um, yes sir. It was a choice between science and black ops, and I was aiming for NASA so science was going to be more useful."

"NASA?" He asked.

"I, um, I wanted to be an astronaut." She confessed.

"So, you joined the Air Force?" He questioned.

"Got to space anyway, didn't I? Don't know anyone else travelling the way we do." She said brightly.

"Touché." He grinned, walking over to her work table. "You know, now that you're here, you don't have to choose between the black ops training and your science." He told her gently.

"Really?" She asked, apparently surprised.

"You read my file. You know I'm a black ops trainer." He said casually. "I could train you up, on the job - if you were interested."

"You think I could?" She asked him, with surprise in her voice.

"Based on what I've read and seen." He confirmed but warned her. "It'll be hard work, but then I know you're not afraid of that. And that Advaned Level 3, we can eventually work it up to a Level 5 advanced."

"I always thought-" she started then froze suddenly—"I was told I didn't have  _ it. _ "

He frowned then asked. "By whom?"

She took a deep breath and whispered softly Jack could barely hear her. "When I made that decision, sir, between black ops and science - my graduation - I was with Jonas."

"Well, if the lunatic fringe is  _ it,  _ which _ it  _ isn't then you don't, but otherwise-."

"And you?" She asked him, her wide blue eyes looked deeply into his eyes, searching for something that would come back to hurt her. Jack felt that she was trying to penetrate his soul to see its hidden depths. He schooled as an expression to appear calm, momentarily cursing all her previous supervisors who tried to take her down. She quickly looked away again.

"I've fringed it at times." He shrugged.

"What kept you from going over the edge?" She asked him, tracing a pattern on her desk with one finger.

"My son." He said quietly. At his answer, Sam looked up and looked at Jack. Sam didn't know an awful lot about what happened, only what Daniel had told her and what she had picked up along the way in their last mission with the crystal lifeforms. "The only reason they chose me to go on that first mission through the gate was that it was a suicide mission and I'm expendable."

"No, you're not." She disagreed quietly.

"I'm glad someone thinks so."

"I know so, sir. Don't do it again."

"I'll try not to," he said quietly, then added and he had no idea why "For you."

"Well then, that makes me feel better."

He smirked, rapped his knuckles on her work table twice before he stepped back. "So, is this a yes?".

"Yes sir." She said the bright smile returning.

"Excellent, General Hammond has some signature lines for you to scribble on when you have a minute, but I'd like to get started now."

"Sure." She said, nodding and coming off her stool.

"Tell me you have your gym stuff with you."

"I do." She nodded and they walked out her lab.

"I thought we might start there. Main Gym. See you in thirty." As he turned to walk to the lockers, Sam couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face as she thought about the confidence the Colonel had in her. She wondered if she could still do cartwheels as she went in search of General Hammond.


End file.
